WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.000 music 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:08.000 Alright. Good evening everyone, welcome to Senior Kickoff. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:13.000 My name is Emily Lafon and I am the Alumni Engagement Director here at WOU. 00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:18.000 My job pretty much consists of planning parties, building relationships, 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:20.000 getting to know people, networking and 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:23.000 hanging out with all of our alumni like you. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:27.000 You probably didn't know that you're actually all alums. 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:31.000 It takes 45 credit hours to be an alum of Western Oregon University. 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:35.000 So welcome to the family, congratulations! 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:40.000 Ok so, you're here tonight because you're on the path to graduation. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:45.000 As you're alumni leader I want to say congratulations you've almost made it. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:56.000 As a student you have a full plate between classes, work, sports, intramurals, 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:60.000 fraternities, sororities, just like in general. Right? So... 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:04.000 we're here tonight to take some of that off your plate and made graduation 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:08.000 path a little bit easier and provide the information you need. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:12.000 I've invited some friends to talk about what needs to happen in order to graduate. 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:15.000 And you'll hear from about 5 different people tonight. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:19.000 It'll be powerpoint slides, information and we will be out our here 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:23.000 probably by 7 or a little bit before so.... 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:28.000 without future ado, I'll bring up our first speaker tonight. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:31.000 They represent one of the more important departments on campus, 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:35.000 the registrar's office. Please welcome Mark Decker. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:49.000 As Emily said, I'm from the Office of the Registrar. 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:52.000 My name is Mark Decker, I'm the graduation coordinator. 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:56.000 So I'm going to talk about a couple of things tonight. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:60.000 They're not the most exciting things but they are important things. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:04.000 So I'm going to talk about applying for your degree. 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:07.000 Because you actually have to apply for your degree. 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:11.000 You have to tell us that you want to have a degree awarded. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.000 It doesn't just happen when you finish classes. 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:19.000 And I'm also going to talk about how you can use Degree Tracks to verify 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:26.000 that you are on track to graduate in that term. Right? 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:31.000 One little preliminary I want to cover before going into the main part 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:34.000 Is the difference between graduation and commencement. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:38.000 So I am the graduation coordinator. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.000 I'm a forms and records analyst, not an event planner. 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:48.000 I'm concerned with graduation which is the actual awarding of your degree. Right? 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:52.000 When you complete all of your requirements and our office awards you a degree, 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:55.000 that's graduating. And that happens at the end of every term. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:58.000 Fall, winter, spring and summer. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:02:63.000 Commencement is a lot of fun. It's a ceremony honoring graduates, 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:06.000 recent graduates, upcoming graduates, Right? 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:09.000 And that happens once a year following the spring term. 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:11.000 But those are two different things. So, 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.000 participating in commencement is not necessary to graduate. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:20.000 You can graduate without going to commencement. And more importantly, 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.000 participating in commencement is not sufficient for graduating. 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:27.000 Right? You can participate in commencement and now graduate. 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:36.000 So I want to make sure you graduate, so I'm going to talk about how to do that. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:40.000 So as I mentioned you have to apply for your degree. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:45.000 On the registrar's web page which I've given a little, 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:52.000 wou.edu/registrar/forms - you can find instructions for how to apply for your degree. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:57.000 And I'm going to talk through steps quickly here. 00:03:57.000 --> 00:03:62.000 Quick question, how many of you have not applied for your degree? 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:05.000 A few of you, ok excellent! 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:10.000 So I'll talk about that. If you have questions about that afterwards, certainly let me know. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:13.000 So you apply for your degree through Wolf Web. 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:20.000 So on the Portal you can select Wolf Web, then you go to the Student Menu, 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:24.000 select Student Records, then there's an option on that page 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:27.000 that reads Apply to Graduate. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:32.000 When you click that - nApply to Graduate 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:36.000 it's going to ask you first for your most recent term of enrollment,. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:40.000 This is the step that throws everyone off. Because, like for example, 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:44.000 If you're registered for winter classes right now, it would read Winter 2023. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:48.000 And people say I want to graduate in spring, not winter. Right? 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:51.000 It's not yet asking you when you want to graduate. 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:54.000 It's asking when your most recent term enrollment is. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:59.000 And then what it's going to do is use that to pull up a curriculum for you. 00:04:59.000 --> 00:04:63.000 And then later in the process, you select which term you want. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:07.000 So I like to mention that first, when you first go to apply for your degree 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:11.000 It asks you not which term you want to graduate in, 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:15.000 it first asks you what term you are most recently enrolled in. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:19.000 And then once you've done that it will bring up a curriculum. 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:23.000 So it will show like your degree, your major, 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:27.000 any credentials that you have on your record. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.000 If you're pursuing more than one credential, like say 2 degrees, 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:34.000 or a degree and a certificate or some combination, 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:37.000 You have to apply for each of those separately. 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:42.000 So you'll go through the process once for one credential and then 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:47.000 you'll want to go back and do it again for all those credentials. 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:51.000 If you're doing like a degree and certificate, make sure you apply for the degree first. 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:54.000 Then go back and do the certificate. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:58.000 Also want to know if you are applying for more than one credential, 00:05:58.000 --> 00:05:62.000 make sure you apply to graduate the same term. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:06.000 Even if you're going to finish one of those credentials earlier than the other. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:11.000 Like, let's say, you're pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in creative production and you're also 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:14.000 pursing a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.000 And next term you're going to be finished with that Bachelor of Arts degree. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:22.000 But you won't finish the Bachelor of Science degree until spring. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:27.000 You want to apply to graduate for both of the degrees spring term. Right? 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:30.000 Because if you apply to graduate for one.... 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:34.000 Once you graduate, you are now a graduate. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:39.000 And your tuition rate it the graduate tuition rate, not the undergraduate. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:44.000 Does that make sense and to why? No matter how many credentials you're applying for 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.000 and no matter when you're going to finish them. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:55.000 Make sure you apply to graduate the same term for all of those credentials. 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:61.000 Once you've selected your curriculum on the application. 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:05.000 then the next thing, it'll lead you through steps so you can select your name. 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:08.000 That is how you want your name to appear on your diploma. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:11.000 It does not have to be your legal name. 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:16.000 You can have a nickname put on your diploma. That's fine. That's totally up to you. 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:23.000 Within reason, someone did request to have Master of the Universe on their diploma. 00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:27.000 Our office did not accept that request. 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:31.000 It'll also ask you for a mailing address for your diploma. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:37.000 We actually issue both digital and paper copies of the diploma. 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:43.000 It's a service that's call Parchment that actually issues these things. 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:47.000 We don't print diploma's here in-house at WOU. 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:50.000 It's a service called Parchment. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:56.000 It can take 4-6 weeks after we award the degrees for those paper copies to arrive. 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:60.000 Because there's a lot that they're printing. Right? 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:04.000 So keep that in mind when you're thinking about the address you select. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:09.000 Where will you you be say 2 months after the end of the term that you graduate in? 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:15.000 Because if you put your local Monmouth address and then you move, 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:19.000 the post office sometimes will send those back to our office. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:22.000 And then we have to contact you and figure out where it has to go. 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:25.000 So that's just something to keep in mind there. 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:28.000 And then when you get to the end of the application to graduate, 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:31.000 It'll have all this information, you want to verify it's correct. 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:35.000 And then very important, don't forget to click submit at the end there. 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:40.000 to actually get it to go through. 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:44.000 The deadline for applying to graduate is 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:47.000 Always the second Friday of each term. So... 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:52.000 for fall 2022, the deadline to apply to graduate 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:55.000 this term was Friday, October 7th. 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:61.000 For Winter 2023, it's that 2nd Friday of the term. 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:08.000 And for Spring 2023, it's the 2nd Friday which should be April 14. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:12.000 But when should you apply to graduate? 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:15.000 As soon as you've completed 135 credits. 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:20.000 That's what technically makes you a senior is that you've completed at least 135 credits. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:23.000 Right? It's not how many years you have gone here. 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:25.000 You could have gone here 7 years and still be a sophomore 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:28.000 if you only took a few classes each term. Right? 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:35.000 So, 135 credits, completed. That's what makes you a senior. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:40.000 If you haven't yet complete 135 credits, the application process, 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:43.000 you won't be able to go through it. It'll give you an error message. 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:50.000 So once you've completed 135 credits make sure you apply to graduate. Don't put that off. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:53.000 We actually, our office recommends, it's not a requirement, 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:58.000 but we recommend that you apply at least 3 terms in advance, when possible, 00:09:58.000 --> 00:09:62.000 to make sure that you can plan your schedule accordingly. Right? 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:09.000 But the strict deadline is the 2nd Friday of each term. 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:13.000 Now, you've applied to graduate, how do you know if you're 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:17.000 on track to graduate in the term that you've selected? 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:22.000 So our office sends out notices to people who've applied to graduate. 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:27.000 So one week after registration for a term opens, 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:34.000 we send out a pre-term notice. So winter registration opened this week, right? 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:39.000 Next week, I'm going to send out a notice to people who applied to graduate winter term. 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:44.000 And it's going to say, we've reviewed your record and you're currently on track 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:50.000 to graduate. Or it will say we reviewed your record and there's something missing. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:56.000 The other this is during the term, Week 8 we send out a notice. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:59.000 So this is actually Week 8 of fall term. 00:10:59.000 --> 00:10:64.000 So just today actually I sent out notices to students who've applied to graduate 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:11.000 this term saying either you're currently on-track or not on-track to graduate. 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:17.000 We do that Week 8 because Week 7 is the last week to drop a class. Right? 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:20.000 So you might have been on-track to graduate 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:23.000 and then if you dropped a class you might no longer be on-track. 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:27.000 So that's why we choose Week 8 to send out that interim notice. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:33.000 The other way you can know if you're on-track graduate without 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:39.000 having to rely on us sending a message is to use Degree Tracks. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:48.000 So, Degree Tracks which hopefully you've all used multiple times. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:52.000 You know you access it from the Portal. There's a little paw print 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:56.000 that you click on and that icon takes you to Degree Tracks. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:61.000 And it shows you your current record, right? 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:08.000 For us to award a degree, this is what your Degree Tracks has to look like. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:11.000 Every requirement has to be marked as complete. 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:15.000 Especially, so you can see there that Bachelor of Science, that's got a green check mark 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:19.000 next to it. That's when we award a degree. 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:22.000 So that's what you want yours to look like in the end. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:26.000 So how do you know if you're on-track? 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:31.000 This is what it will look like if you're on-track to graduate that term. 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:36.000 So you can see that little blue tilde next to the Bachelor of Arts there, 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:38.000 The blue title means in progress. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:41.000 So what that means is after the end of that term, 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:44.000 that blue tilde turns into a green check mark. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:46.000 And that's true of anything in Degree Tracks. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:51.000 If it's got the blue tilde, at the end of the term if you successfully pass your classes, 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:55.000 it turns into a green check mark. So this student here 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:59.000 you can see is on-track to graduate this term. 00:12:59.000 --> 00:12:68.000 This is in fact, I've redacted it per FERPA law, but this is an actual student record here. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:12.000 Versus, if there's a blank box... 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:15.000 what that means is even if the term finishes 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:19.000 That box is still going to be blank because it's not in progress, right? 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:22.000 In progress boxes turn to green check marks. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:27.000 Blank boxes stay blank. So this record here, you can see 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:32.000 even at the end of the term, they're not going to have completed their degree. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:37.000 Specifically, you can see their major requirements are still going to be outstanding. 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:40.000 So that's one way. If you're saying how can I use Degree Tracks 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:43.000 to know if I'm on track or not. Right? 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:48.000 On-track you're going to have in progress for the degree itself. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:52.000 Not just for requirements below it but for the degree itself. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:55.000 Not on-track, you're going to see the degree itself 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:59.000 is not listed as in progress. It's just got the empty box. 00:13:59.000 --> 00:13:64.000 How often should you check Degree Tracks?Why not every week? 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:08.000 But at a minimum, anytime you make changes registering for courses. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:14.000 Check it before & after. Anytime if you change your major, check it before & after. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:18.000 After grades are posted, check Degree Tracks. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:26.000 Anytime our office sends you a notice, please check Degree Tracks. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:30.000 And then, what can you expect at the end of the term which you've applied to graduate? 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:35.000 Well, if you've meet all your degree requirements, what you can expect is 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:42.000 official notice from out office to your WOU email saying you've graduated. Right? 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:47.000 When does that happen? Well, we process degrees after grades have been submitted. 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:52.000 And so, it can, it usually doesn't take us long. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:56.000 But it can be up to a couple weeks after the actual end of the term, right? 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:60.000 So sometimes student say, hey I finished my last exam, where's my degree? 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:04.000 Well, we gotta do some data processing, stuff like that. 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:10.000 So it can take awhile. But we send out an official graduation notice. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:16.000 If at that time you have no holds on your account, like you don't owe the school money, 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:22.000 then you'll also get an email from Parchment, the service which prints the diplomas. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:26.000 They'll give you immediate access to your digital diploma 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:33.000 And they'll also start the process of printing and shipping the paper copy. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:38.000 Also if you are going to order transcripts, some people ask me about applying to 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:43.000 grad school, stuff like that. Of course, the grad school wants to know that you've graduated. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:47.000 Don't order official transcripts until you've gotten official notice from our Office 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:52.000 that you've actually graduated. Because at that time your transcript will 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:56.000 reflect the you've graduated. Right? If you've ordered an official transcript say 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:61.000 during finals week of your last term, it's not going to say you've graduated yet. 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:07.000 Because we hadn't actually awarded that degree yet. 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:11.000 If there are holds on your account, you still graduate. Ok. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:16.000 But you won't get that official diploma yet. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:20.000 That's something that we hold. You also cannot order 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:23.000 official transcripts if you have a hold on your account. 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:28.000 So if you had a hold on your account, you would need to resolve 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:32.000 those holds before you can get a diploma or official transcripts. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:38.000 And it's the business office on campus that your contact to resolves holds. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:41.000 However, even if you have holds on your account like I said 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:44.000 that doesn't prevent you from graduating. You still graduate. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:48.000 And if you need something that shows you've graduated, 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:51.000 you can request an official Verification Letter from our office 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:54.000 that would stand that you've graduated. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:59.000 And you can get that on our website on the forms page. 00:16:59.000 --> 00:16:65.000 And also this taking longer than I planned it to. 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:09.000 Now, that's what you can expect if you've completed all your requirements. 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:13.000 But if you've applied to graduate and you still have outstanding requirements, 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:15.000 then what happens at the end of the term is 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:20.000 we send you a notice saying, hey, you applied to graduate this term 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:23.000 but you're still missing requirements. 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:29.000 Then we give you a two-week grace period to either 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.000 get those requirements meet. Right? Like if you took an incomplete 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:36.000 you gotta finish that incomplete within those two weeks. 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:41.000 If you still want to graduate that term. Right? 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:44.000 Or if you're not going to finish your requirements the term, 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:48.000 you just have to ask us to update your term of graduation, 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:51.000 So if you thought you were going to finish spring term, 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:56.000 but it turns out, oh you took and incomplete and you need more time 00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:59.000 to finish it or something comes up, that's fine. 00:17:59.000 --> 00:17:64.000 Just contact our office and say, oh I'd like to graduate summer term instead, 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:10.000 or fall term, or whatever. We can always move those applications forward. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:16.000 Not a problem. But if you don't contact us within that two-week period to do that 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:20.000 and you still have those outstanding requirements, then we cancel 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:25.000 your application to graduate. And then when you really do want to graduate again, 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:31.000 you have to contact our office and we have to manually put in a new application for you. 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:35.000 Which I get paid to do, so it's really not that big of a problem. 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:39.000 But it's, you know, something we like to avoid. 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:47.000 And it is avoidable. All you got to do is ask us to update that graduation term. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:54.000 And that's what I've got for you. Any questions you have right now? 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:58.000 Alright, well, thank you very much. And hey, can we give it up for the interpreters? 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:10.000 Alright. Thanks Mark. That was great, really good information. 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:14.000 So yah, registrar important, check them out, fill out your forms. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:19.000 Ok so our next speaker is here from Center for Professional Pathways. 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:23.000 Adry Clark is here to tell you about what services are available to you 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:29.000 as a student and as an alumni. Welcome Adry! (applause) 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:38.000 Thank you. Alright. Hi everyone. Congratulations, you're so close! 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:42.000 You're going to be a graduate in just a few months. What an accomplishment! 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:48.000 So my name is Adry Clark and I serve as the director of 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:52.000 The Center for Professional Pathways. My pronouns are she/hers. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:56.000 And, I just want to tell you a little bit about our office. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:60.000 I know a lot of you have been in our office before but a lot of you haven't 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:03.000 And we're here just to help you along this path. 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:07.000 You came here probably wanting to create a future for yourself. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:12.000 That's with all kinds of possibilities and a real role. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:15.000 And our office is here to help you with that. 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:19.000 So whether is to kind of figure out what that might be 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:23.000 or to help you explore that. To help with some connections 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:28.000 that are going to help you earn more or maybe find some opportunities. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:31.000 Or to teach you some skills that are going to help you 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:34.000 put your best foot forward, like a really good resume 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.000 that you're just proud to give to people. 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:41.000 Or to learn to interview in a way that makes people 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:45.000 really want to talk to you and invite you to work with them. 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:50.000 That's what we do. And we do that for you as a student. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:52.000 We'll also do it for the rest of your life. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:56.000 You have access to our office for the rest of your life. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:59.000 So that's really unique, most schools don't do that. 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:04.000 So we're really proud that we do that for our students. 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:07.000 So I would say make the most of this year. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:12.000 If you're graduating in the spring, really think about your 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:17.000 career development as like an extra course you take every term. 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:23.000 Everything you need to do in terms of getting ready, I would take it that seriously. 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:28.000 So get experience, talk to people, try things, do stuff. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:35.000 And learn to tell your story in a way that really kind of serves you best. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:39.000 So there's no wrong place to be. I know a lot of you think 00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:42.000 either you feel like you have it all figured out. 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:44.000 Or you're like I have no idea what I'm doing. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:47.000 And everybody else has it all figured out. 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:52.000 There is no right or wrong place to be. You are where you're at. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:57.000 So our office, use our office. We're right down the hall. 00:21:57.000 --> 00:21:64.000 And we know a lot of people. We're very connected to grad schools, to employers. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:08.000 So I just wish you the best. Best of luck. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:12.000 But really stay active and pro-active this year. 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:15.000 And we'd love to see you. Best of luck. 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:20.000 Moving right along. Thank you everybody for sticking around. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:25.000 Alright up next is Kella Helyer. Kella represents Financial Aid 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:27.000 and is here to tell you what you need to do prior to graduating. 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:30.000 Please welcome Kella 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:33.000 Well, welcome. I'm so glad that you're here tonight. 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:36.000 And congratulations, it's a very exciting time. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:39.000 What I have for you is probably the least amount of paperwork if you're 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:43.000 a financial aid recipient then when you actually start. 00:22:43.000 --> 00:22:46.000 So that's the good news about financial aid, the paperwork gets less. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:52.000 So I'm going to go through a couple of pages here really quick. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:58.000 And this a handout that actually Emily is going to make available after 00:22:58.000 --> 00:22:64.000 the presentation to you guys. And she'll send that out. It's a pretty lengthy document. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:06.000 But there's some really great information that you'll want to know 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:11.000 as you prepare to graduate. So, particularly if you've had 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:16.000 student loans. And so I would say probably 74% of all of you in this room 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:21.000 have had to take out student loans at one point or another during their career. 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:27.000 Ahh so, this is information you'll want to know about. 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:32.000 Ok so, what you can do about your student loans 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:38.000 as you prepare here to graduate. Let me keep going down, this is not working very well. 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:42.000 You want to make sure your in contact with your lenders. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:47.000 So you should have been given that information when you first took out loans, 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:50.000 You should also have probably only one lender. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.000 They used to have multiple lenders for every loan that you took out. 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:57.000 But that's something they did a long time ago. 00:23:57.000 --> 00:23:60.000 So hopefully now you have just one lender. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:03.000 So make sure that you're paying attention to that information they're send you. 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:08.000 Because it's important that you're on-track so you don't go into a default status. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:14.000 There is a student loan pause right now that's in effect until January. 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:21.000 So if you're graduating at the end of fall term, you have at least 6 months. 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:26.000 Because once you've graduate you don't go into repayment for the first 6 months. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:28.000 Unless you've already used that 6 month grace period 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:31.000 at some point during your college career. 00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:37.000 But you want to make sure and pay attention to when you actually go into repayment. 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:44.000 Given that the student loan forgiveness program has been put on pause, 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:51.000 there is discussion that they may extend the student loan repayment to further in the year. 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:56.000 That is not a given at the moment. But there's a possibility that could happen. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:59.000 And so keep an eye out for that as well. 00:24:59.000 --> 00:24:64.000 And unless something else changes with the forgiveness side of things. 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:08.000 It's a changing landscape everyday at work. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:13.000 And then make sure that you are choosing a repayment plan that meets your needs. 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:16.000 There are 9 different repayment plan options. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:20.000 And the one thing I want to make sure and stress is that you 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:25.000 never go into default. Because avoiding the notices from the lender 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:28.000 and not taking any kind of action is going to cause that to happen. 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:31.000 And you don't really want that to happen at all. 00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:35.000 Make sure that you're at least doing some kind of repayment plan. 00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:38.000 Even if it's a zero payment option. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:43.000 But again it's all going to be dependent on whether the student loan are 00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:46.000 repayments are put on pause for a little bit longer, so. 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:50.000 Again, just keep in touch with your lender on that. 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:57.000 Then you want to also think about whether you can do 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:63.000 student loan forgiveness, well actually pubic service loan forgiveness program. 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:12.000 If you go into work in government or 501C businesses, 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:16.000 then you can be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:20.000 So you want to be kind of watching for information on that as well. 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:31.000 And then, consolidation. Consider whether consolidation is going to be right for you. 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:36.000 Every year that you take out a student loan, it's going to have a different interest rate. 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:39.000 So when you consolidate your loans, they all get consolidated 00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:41.000 into one loan with one interest rate. 00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:44.000 And you want to make sure that whatever that interest rate is 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:47.000 that's it's in your favor. So you're not consolidating loans that might have 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:51.000 a lower interest rate. So you really want to pay attention to that as well. 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:54.000 But if you go into the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:57.000 you're going to want to make sure and consolidate those loans. 00:26:57.000 --> 00:26:62.000 So there's a little bit of coordination that has to happen with those. 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:08.000 But again, your lenders can help you through all of that process. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:12.000 Through this you want to make sure and beware of student loan scams. 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:16.000 So there's going to be people that will be reaching out to you. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:20.000 And offering up different student loan forgiveness options. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:22.000 And make sure that it's coming from a reputable source. 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:27.000 So you should have been given information about who your lender is. 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:31.000 And those are the people that you want to make sure to reach out to. 00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:35.000 You can also reach out to our office if you have questions about the process 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:39.000 and we can certainly direct you the right way on that. 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:45.000 Again, make sure you're being in contact and not ignoring the information you're receiving. 00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:51.000 So the rest of this document, like I said, has some really great information in it. 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:60.000 So we'll make it available. Let me see what else we've got in here. 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:04.000 So there's information on who you can reach out to about help on your student loans. 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:09.000 And there's budgeting information in here. 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:12.000 Anyway, there's a bunch of information. So I just want to leave that for you to look through. 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:17.000 And look at all so you're on the right track for graduation. 00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:20.000 And one of the points I really want to make too. That Mark made a great about. 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:27.000 Making sure that you're not applying for graduation until you last credential. 00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:30.000 And that becomes really important from the financial aid side of things, too. 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:35.000 Because your eligibility for aid drastically changes once you've graduated. 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:39.000 And we've seen that happen enough time with students where they got excited 00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:42.000 Because they wanted to be able to graduate with that first degree. 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:45.000 And then they had another one that they were still trying to apply for, 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:48.000 And then they were no longer eligible for some of the free money 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:52.000 that's available to students as an undergrad. So once you graduated, 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:56.000 then you aid drastically changes, so. 00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:59.000 But if you have other questions on that, please reach out to us. 00:28:59.000 --> 00:28:63.000 We're here to help you. Thank you. 00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:04.000 We are getting close. 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:07.000 So our next speaker couldn't actually be here tonight 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:10.000 She's out doing some graduate program work. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:15.000 Amber Deets leaves us with a video. She represents Graduate Programs. 00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:20.000 And I will go ahead and play that video. 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:23.000 Hi class of 2023. My name is Amber Deets 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:26.000 And I'm the director of Graduate Student Success & Recruitment. 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:28.000 And I'm sorry I couldn't be with you tonight. 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:32.000 I'm downtown at the WOU Wednesday Crawl if you want to come up afterwards. 00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:35.000 It get's over at 7:00 but there might still be quite a few students down there. 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:42.000 At businesses, if you wear your WOU gear or present a student ID, you can get a discount. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:47.000 But I'm here tonight to talk to you about some exciting things we have for our 00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:50.000 students that graduate from Western Oregon University. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:55.000 Not only do we have over 13 graduate programs here at Western Oregon University, 00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:60.000 we also have graduate assistantships that students that are attending Western 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:04.000 have the highest priority in their review of applications. 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:08.000 That priority deadline is February 1, 2023. 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:11.000 You don't need to be fully admitted or graduated yet, 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:16.000 you can apply for those GA positions that provide you with a tuition reduction, 00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:22.000 and stipend as you apply for grad school. 00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:26.000 I'm sorry that I can't be with you tonight, but if you have any admission 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:29.000 application questions for grad school, feel free to stop by. 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:32.000 We're in our office in the Admin Building 205. 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:34.000 Kristen Larson is here to assist you in any way. 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:40.000 And then I can also answer any questions you have about the programs themselves. 00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:44.000 We have programs ranging in criminal justice. 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:52.000 student licensure - I'm sorry, they are cleaning my building as I'm trying to make this tonight. 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:57.000 We have teaching program, criminal justice programs, a new justice studies program. 00:30:57.000 --> 00:30:61.000 We have an org leadership program. We have a plethora of programs 00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:06.000 that we're happy to provide. Go and check us out at graduate.wou.edu. 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:10.000 We'd be happy to assist you. And anytime, your welcome to stop by 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:15.000 and I'd be happy to help you. Have a great day, guys. Take care. Bye. 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.000 Our next speaker comes from Jostens. Troy Decker. 00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:23.000 He is going to tell you about regalia, important date to remember, 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:28.000 how to get decked out in your regalia and graduation gear on commencement day. 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:33.000 So, without future ado, welcome Troy. 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:37.000 Alright, yeah, so...my name is Troy Decker. 00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:40.000 I'm no relation to Mark Decker, your grad coordinator. 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:44.000 But we're both nice guys, so. 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:51.000 So I'm with Jostens, specifically the territory rep for Oregon and Southern Idaho, 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:55.000 and just colleges and universities. 00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:60.000 And we work in partnership with Mark's office, the Registrar. 00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:07.000 And also the Wolfstore to provide the products that 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:13.000 you need for graduating, not graduating but for commencement. Right? 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:19.000 We're all about the celebration. 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:26.000 And we do that primarily through our Western Oregon University official class rings, 00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:31.000 our graduation announcement, diploma frames, 00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:36.000 WOU regalia which is just a fancy way to say caps and gowns. 00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:40.000 And then also the diplomas covers that you get when you 00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:44.000 cross the stage at commencement. 00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:49.000 The first week of spring term, the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:55.000 which is April 3rd, 4th and 5th. We will be set-up in the Werner Center here 00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:59.000 right in front of the Wolfstore. And that is basically you're one-stop shop where 00:32:59.000 --> 00:32:64.000 you'll be able to take care of getting your cap and gown, order graduation announcements 00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:14.000 ordering a class ring and also diploma frames. 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:18.000 If you would like to check out the product ahead of time, 00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:24.000 you can go on jostens.com/college and just affiliate to Western Oregon University 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:30.000 and you'll see the custom products available for Western. 00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:38.000 And this is just kind of a preview of what the website looks like. 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:44.000 Also you can, on the website, click on a ring and custom design it. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:48.000 Actually create a rendering of the ring before you order it. 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:53.000 So this allows you to see what it's going to look like 00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:56.000 Drop different stones on the ring, 00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:59.000 change the metal, 00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:07.000 and just basically conceptualize it in front of you. 00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:11.000 If you're not somebody who wears a ring, 00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:15.000 we do have other jewelry items if you're interested in those, too. 00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:20.000 And you can see those on the site as well. 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:26.000 In addition to the rings, Jostens also does the graduation announcements which is 00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:31.000 nice way for you to spread the news to your friends and family that you're graduating. 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:35.000 And these are formal, traditional announcments 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:41.000 that will have your name, degree and major printed in the text. 00:34:41.000 --> 00:34:45.000 We also have the note cards for thank you cards, the seals for the envelopes and 00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:48.000 return address labels. And those come in packages 00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:54.000 which you'll get information on prior to the ordering event. 00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:59.000 Here's a quick, little sample of kind of how your graduation announcement 00:34:59.000 --> 00:34:63.000 is personalized. So it will have your name, degree, your major, 00:35:03.000 --> 00:35:08.000 if you have a minor or honors emphasis 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:12.000 that can all be included in the text. as well. 00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:17.000 In addition to announcement, we also have diploma frames which is a really nice way to 00:35:17.000 --> 00:35:23.000 protect and display that hard-earned document. 00:35:23.000 --> 00:35:29.000 Those will be available as well during the event. 00:35:29.000 --> 00:35:36.000 And then we also have the graduation regalia which you'll be able to get at the event. 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:40.000 Typical regalia, the cap, gown and tassel 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:44.000 is the required piece when you walk in commencement. 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:48.000 And most people do get the stole. It dresses up your gown. 00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:50.000 And looks nice in your photos. 00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:54.000 The stole is actually, kind of has a story behind it. 00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:60.000 It's called the Stole of Gratitude so you wear the stole as a gesture of recognition 00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:04.000 of somebody or people who have offered support while you've been in school. 00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:09.000 So the stole is worn during commencement as a gesture of recognition of them. 00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:12.000 And then after the ceremony, if you like, you can present it to them. 00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:17.000 Now, a lot of people just like it because definitely breaks up the red. 00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:19.000 And looks nice in your pictures, too. 00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:24.000 In addition, to the cap, gown, tassel and the stole, 00:36:24.000 --> 00:36:31.000 the registrar's office also presents Honor Cords and Veteran Cords 00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:36.000 for those that qualify. Yeah. 00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:39.000 And so if you have any questions leading up to the event, 00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:43.000 the Wolfstore is partners with Jostens and 00:36:43.000 --> 00:36:49.000 they can answer any questions for you, as well. 00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:52.000 And so, also when you cross the stage you'll 00:36:52.000 --> 00:36:56.000 receive a diploma cover which I think is handed to 00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:60.000 the student from the President or the Dean? 00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:04.000 I'm not sure. You'll get that when you cross the stage and 00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:09.000 that happens automatically when attend. 00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:15.000 So yeah, really we're a lot recognizing important moments and 00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:18.000 college commencement is one of the biggest. 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:23.000 And so we're just here to help you celebrate that. 00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:25.000 And congratulations you guys are getting close. 00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:28.000 Thank you so much. (applause) 00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:32.000 Okay so like I said, I'm your last speaker tonight. 00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:35.000 I want to thank everybody for coming in here, being with us. 00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:39.000 Thank you to our speakers. I hope it was informative for y'all. 00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:44.000 It's great to see everybody be back in person and so 00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:48.000 I'm going to keep my remarks short and sweet. Thank you, go ahead. 00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:51.000 Basically, I love my job, I love working with alums. 00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:54.000 I love seeing everybody, hearing the stories. 00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:59.000 This is why you are all here. We comeback, we share our stories. 00:37:59.000 --> 00:37:63.000 We champion for Western. We tell people how great the experience was. 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:08.000 What we loved about this place and just support our alma mater. 00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:11.000 I get the privilege or working with everybody and just hearing those stories 00:38:11.000 --> 00:38:15.000 time and time again. And I can't wait to hear your stories 00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:19.000 When you comeback for events like homecoming, tree lighting and 00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:22.000 Senior Send-off which is all for you again at the end of the year. 00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:24.000 It's June 12th at Gentle House. 00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:27.000 You'll get an invite for that towards the end of the year. 00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:33.000 So, the last thing that's really important is to update your contact information with us. 00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:38.000 You can go online to wou.edu/alumni and update your info. 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:43.000 That will make sure that you stay connected.You get invites to events, 00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:48.000 know what's happening at the university and just let us say hi. 00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:53.000 If you have any questions, my office is in the Welcome Center Room 145. 00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:57.000 I've always got coffee. I've got swag. I've got candy so 00:38:57.000 --> 00:38:60.000 come on by, say hello, share your stories. 00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:03.000 And I look forward to seeing y'all as alumni. 00:39:03.000 --> 00:39:05.000 Congratulations and thanks again. 00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:15.000 music